AuthorTopic: Vicky Jack to become the first Scots woman to complete the 7 summits? (Read 5691 times)

Last year Jack was just one of countless climbers to discover, 28,750ft up, how hostile Everest can be as she tried to recover from being knocked from her feet by huge gusts of wind.

Though only 300ft from the summit, the decision a year ago to turn back, with frostbite taking its toll, wasnít very hard. She didnít really have a choice. Not that the experience was ever likely to put her off. ďIt was strange last year,Ē she says, ďbecause I wasnít even that disappointed and Iíve never felt frustrated about being so close. In fact one of my first thoughts was: Yes! I can come back next year. Otherwise, I donít know what Iíd have done next. I was relieved, in a way.Ē

For Jack, Everest is the final piece in the jigsaw. Seven years ago, having bagged all the Munros, she set out to climb the Seven Summits Ė the highest peak on each continent. No Scottish woman has achieved the feat. Until last year it had all gone to plan; six down, one to go. Yet, as she says, thereís a part of her thatís glad she failed Everest, her only reservation being that itíll cost her £20,000. This is her greatest worry.

This came just in through the BBC website:Although it has yet to be confirmed Vicky Jack seems to be the first Scottish woman to climb the 7 summits after summiting Everest!

We will confirm this and add her to the official statistics as soon as possible (after the summits have been confirmed and we have received the detailed dates from Ms Jack.)

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Seven summit joy for Scots woman A Saltire has been planted on top of Mount Everest by the 51-year-old who is believed to be the oldest woman from the UK to conquer the peak. Vicky Jack, from Perthshire, reached the summit on her second attempt to scale the Nepal mountain.

Last year bad weather halted her bid just 300ft from the summit. She is thought to be the first Scottish woman to scale the tallest peaks on the world's seven continents, joining a group of fewer than 100 mountaineers.

She was accompanied on her climb by expedition leader Henry Todd and his wife Sue, from Kingussie, Inverness-shire. They were among 30 climbers and 29 sherpas who took advantage of a break in the weather to tackle the 29,035ft summit on Monday. Ms Jack, from Balquhidder, runs her own consultancy firm.

She quit her job as head of personnel with North of Scotland Water in 1997 to take on the seven peaks challenge. Ms Jack, who trained by walking Munros carrying telephone directories in a rucksack, started by climbing two peaks that year. During her attempt on Everest she has been staying in touch by telephone and email, and has been posting updates on her website.

Friend Jean Anne Mitchell said: "It's an amazing achievement and a tremendous effort. I'm absolutely delighted for her. "Vicky is one of those people who has a superb drive and personality. She always wanted to be on top of the world and now she really is. "She's only a slight slim wee thing - you'd never believe her capable of such stamina - but her determination, as always, has been second to none."

Tamae Watanabe, a retired Japanese office worker, is the oldest women to have climbed Everest, reaching the summit in May 2002 at the age of 63.